Thermal Performance Analysis of Plaster Reinforced with Raffia Vinifera Particles for Use as Insulating Materials in Building

The present study focuses on the formulation of new composite consisting of plaster and raffia vinifera particle (RVP) with the purpose to reducing energy consumption. The aim of this study is to test this new compound as an insulating eco-material in building in a tropical climate. The composites samples were developed by mixing plaster with raffia vinifera particles (RVP) using three different sizes (1.6 mm, 2.5 mm and 4 mm). The effects of four different RVP incorporations rates (i.e., 0wt%, 5wt%;10wt%;15wt%) on physical, thermal, mechanicals properties of the composites were investigated. In addition, the use of the raffia vinifera particles and plaster based composite material as building envelopes thermal insulation material is studied by the habitable cell thermal behavior instrumentation. The results indicate that the incorporation of raffia vinifera particle leads to improve the new composite physical, mechanical and thermal properties. And the parametric analysis reveals that the sampling rate and the size of raffia vinifera particles are the most decisive factor to impact these properties, and to decreases in the thermal conductivity which leads to an improvement to the thermal resistance and energy savings. The best improvement of plaster composite was obtained at the raffia vinifera particles size between 2.5 and 4.0 mm loading of 5wt% (C95P5R) with a good ratio of thermo-physical-mechanical properties. Additionally, the habitable cell experimental thermal behavior, with the new raffia vinifera particles and plaster-based composite as thermal insulating material for building walls, gives an average damping of 4°C and 5.8°C in the insulated house interior environment respectively for cold and hot cases compared to the outside environment and the uninsulated house interior environment. The current study highlights that this mixture gives the new composite thermal insulation properties applicable in the eco-construction of habitats in tropical environments.

Metal magnetic memory testing for early damage assessment in ferromagnetic materials

In order to investigate the physical mechanism of metal magnetic memory testing, both the influences of earth magnetic field and applied stress on magnetic domain structure were discussed. Static tension and fatigue tests for low carbon steel plate specimens were carried out on hydraulic servo testing machine of MTS810 type and magnetic signals were measured during the processes by the type of EMS-2003 instrument. The results indicate that the initial magnetic signals of specimens are different before loading. The magnetic signals curves are transformed from initial random to regular pattern due to the effect of two types of loads. However, the shape and distribution of magnetic signal curves in the elastic region are different from that of plastic region in tension test. While in fatigue test those magnetic signals curves corresponding to different cycles are similar. The H_p(y) value of magnetic signals on the fracture zone increases dramatically at the breaking transient time and positive-negative magnetic poles occur on the two parts of fracture zone.

High Heat Flux Testing of B_4C/Cu and SiC/Cu Functionally Graded Materials Simulated by Laser and Electron Beam

B4C, SiC and C, Cu functionally graded-materials (FGMs) have been developed by plasma spraying and hot pressing. Their high-heat flux properties have been investigated by high energy laser and electron beam for the simulation of plasma disruption process of the future fusion reactors, And a study on eroded products of B4C/Cu FGM under transient thermal load of electron beam was performed. In the experiment, SEM and EDS analysis indicated that B4C and SiC were decomposed, carbon was preferentially evaporated under high thermal load, and a part of Si and Cu were melted, in addition, the splash of melted metal and the particle emission of brittle destruction were also found. Different erosive behaviors of carbon-based materials (CBMs) caused by laser and electron beam were also discussed.

The Role of the American Oil Chemists’Society in World Trade——Quality Assurance Testing,Certified Reference Materials,and International Liaison Activities

The American Oil Chemists’ Society(AOCS) is a volunteer-led association. AOCS develops and publishes methods of analysis for fats, oils, proteins, surfactants, and related materials according to accepted international standards to ensure equitable trade practices on a global scale. AOCS Official Method development has been going on for over a hundred years. The founding vision of AOCS in 1909 was "an organization designed for the development and advancement of analytical methods for cottonseed products." AOCS Official Methods are essential to world trade and are used to confirm the value of billions of pounds of oilseed-based commodities and finished products each year. In addition, AOCS conducts proficiency testing, provides certified reference materials, and collaborates with other standards developers including the International Organization for Standardization(ISO) and the Codex Alimentarius Commission. AOCS serves as a professional scientific membership organization providing current and emerging information as well as disseminating research results in oils, fats, lipids, proteins, surfactants, and related materials. Several avenues are used, especially meetings, publications, interest groups, networking opportunities, and web presence. Many scientists, experts, and others engaged in working in these fields find their professional "home" in AOCS. The AOCS Technical Leadership Committee comprises some of the most experienced AOCS members and scientists. The AOCS Technical Services department staff relies on this committee for guidance on scientific matters and for advice in prioritizing the opportunities facing AOCS.

Numerical analysis of bending property of bi-modulus materials and a new method for measurement of tensile elastic modulus

In nature,there are widely distributed bi-modulus materials with different deformation characteristics under compressive and tensile stress states,such as concrete,rock and ceramics.Due to the lack of constitutive model that could reasonably consider the bi-modulus property of materials,and the lack of simple and reliable measurement methods for the tensile elastic parameters of materials,scientists and engineers always neglect the effect of the bi-modulus property of materials in engineering design and numerical simulation.To solve this problem,this study utilizes the uncoupled strain-driven constitutive model proposed by Latorre and Montáns(2020)to systematically study the distributions and magnitudes of stresses and strains of bi-modulus materials in the three-point bending test through the numerical method.Furthermore,a new method to synchronously measure the tensile and compressive elastic moduli of materials through the four-point bending test is proposed.The numerical results show that the bi-modulus property of materials has a significant effect on the stress,strain and displacement in the specimen utilized in the three-point and four-point bending tests.Meanwhile,the results from the numerical tests,in which the elastic constitutive model proposed by Latorre and Montáns(2020)is utilized,also indicate that the newly proposed measurement method has a good reliability.Although the new measurement method proposed in this study can synchronously and effectively measure the tensile and compressive elastic moduli,it cannot measure the tensile and compressive Poisson’s ratios.

Multilevel Tests and Measurement Evaluation Methods for the Application of Composite Materials in Spacecraft Structures

With the implementation of new-generation launch vehicles,space stations,lunar and deep space exploration,etc.,the development of spacecraft structures will face new challenges. In order to reduce the spacecraft weight and increase the payload,composite material structures will be widely used. It is difficult to evaluate the strength and life of composite materials due to their complex mechanism and various phenomena in damage and failure.Meanwhile,the structures of composite materials used in spacecrafts will bear complex loads,including the coupling loads of tension,pressure,bending,shear,and torsion. Static loads,thermal loads,and vibration loads may occur at the same time,which asks for verification requirements to ensure the structure safety. Therefore,it is necessary to carry out a systematic multi-level experimental study. In this paper,the building block approach (BBA) is used to investigate the multilevel composite material structures for spacecrafts. The advanced measurement technology is adopted based on digital image correlation (DIC) and piezoelectric and optical fiber sensors to measure the composite material structure deformation. The virtual experiment technology is applied to provide sufficient and reliable data for the evaluation of the composite material structures of spacecrafts.

Mobility and dynamic erosion process of granular flow:insights from numerical investigation using material point method

In order to understand the dynamics of granular flow on an erodible base soil,in this paper,a series of material point method-based granular column collapse tests were conducted to investigate numerically the mobility and dynamic erosion process of granular flow subjected to the complex settings,i.e.,the aspect ratio,granular mass,friction and dilatancy resistance,gravity and presence of water.A set of power scaling laws were proposed to describe the final deposit characteristics of granular flow by the relations of the normalized run-out distance and the normalized final height of granular flow against the aspect ratio,being greatly affected by the complex geological settings,e.g.,granular mass,the friction and dilatancy resistance of granular soil,and presence of water in granular flow.An index of the coefficient of friction of granular soil was defined as a ratio of the target coefficient of friction over the initial coefficient of friction to quantify the scaling extent of friction change(i.e.,friction strengthening or weakening).There is a characteristic aspect ratio of granular column corresponding to the maximum mobility of granular flow with the minimum index of the apparent coefficient of friction.The index of the repose coefficient of friction of granular flow decreased gradually with the increase in aspect ratio because higher potential energy of granular column at a larger aspect ratio causes a larger kinetic energy of granular soil to weaken the friction of granular soil as a kind of velocity-related friction weakening.An increase in granular mass reduces gradually the indexes of the apparent and repose coefficients of friction of granular soil to enhance the mobility of granular flow.The mobility of granular flow increases gradually with the decrease in friction angle or increase in dilatancy angle of granular soil.However,the increase of gravity accelerates granular flow but showing the same final deposit profile without any dependence on gravity.The mobility of granular flow increases gradually by lowering the indexes of the apparent and repose coefficients of friction of granular flow while changing the surroundings,in turn,the dry soil,submerged soil and saturated soil,implying a gradually increased excessive mobility of granular flow with the friction weakening of granular soil.Presence of water in granular flow may be a potential catalyzer to yield a long run-out granular flow,as revealed in comparison of water-absent and water-present granular flows.In addition,the dynamic erosion and entrainment of based soil induced by granular flow subjected to the complex geological settings,i.e.,the aspect ratio,granular mass,gravity,friction and dilatancy resistance,and presence of water,were comprehensively investigated as well.

Seismic performance evaluation of water supply pipes installed in a full-scale RC frame structure based on a shaking table test

As an important part of nonstructural components,the seismic response of indoor water supply pipes deserves much attention.This paper presents shaking table test research on water supply pipes installed in a full-scale reinforced concrete(RC)frame structure.Different material pipes and different methods for penetrating the reinforced concrete floors are combined to evaluate the difference in seismic performance.Floor response spectra and pipe acceleration amplification factors based on test data are discussed and compared with code provisions.A seismic fragility study of displacement demand is conducted based on numerical simulation.The acceleration response and displacement response of different combinations are compared.The results show that the combination of different pipe materials and different passing-through methods can cause obvious differences in the seismic response of indoor riser pipes.

Application of ultrasonic fatigue technology in very-high-cycle fatigue testing of aviation gas turbine engine blade materials:A review

The need for very-high-cycle fatigue(VHCF)testing up to 1010cycles of aviation gas turbine engine blade materials under combined mechanical loads and complex environments has encouraged the development of VHCF testing instrumentation and technology.This article begins with a comprehensive review of the existing available techniques that enable VHCF testing.Recent advances in ultrasonic fatigue testing(UFT)techniques are highlighted,containing their new capabilities and methods for single load,multiaxial load,variable amplitude fatigue,and combined cycle fatigue.New techniques for conducting UFT in high-temperature,humid environments,and corrosive environments are summarized.These developments in mechanical loading and environmental building techniques provide the possibility of laboratory construction for real service conditions of blade materials.New techniques that can be used for in situ monitoring of VHCF damage are summarized.Key issues in the UFT field are presented,and countermeasures are collated.Finally,the existing problems and future trends in the field are briefly described.

Al/Hf ratio-dependent mechanisms of microstructure and mechanical property of nearly fully dense Al—Hf reactive material

This study proposed three types of Al—Hf reactive materials with particle size ratios(a),which were almost completely dense(porosity of<5.40%)owing to their preparation using hot-pressing technology.Microstructure characteristics and phase composition were analyzed,and the influence of particle size ratios on dynamic mechanical behavior and damage mechanism were investigated.The prepared sample with a=0.1 exhibited continuous wrapping of the Hf phase by the Al phase.Hf—Hf contact(continuous Hf phase)within the sample gradually increased with increasing a,and a small amount of fine Hf appeared for the sample with a=1.The reactive materials exhibited clear strain-rate sensitivity,with flow stressσ0.05and failure strainεfincreasing approximately linearly with increasing strain rate.ε.It is found that the plastic deformation of the material increased with increasing strain rate.As a increased from 0.1 to 1,the flow stress gradually increased.Impact failure of the material was dominated by ductile fracture with a large Al phase plastic deformation band for lower a,while brittle fracture with crushed Hf particles occurred at higher a.Finally,a constitutive model based on BP neural network was proposed to describe the stress-strain relationships of the materials,with an average relative error of 2.22%.

Modeling and finite element analysis of transduction process of electromagnetic acoustic transducers for nonferromagnetic metal material testing

Facing the problems lack of considering the non-uniform distribution of the static bias magnetic field and computing the particle displacements in the simulation model of electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT),a multi-field coupled model was established and the finite element method (FEM) was presented to calculate the entire transduction process.The multi-field coupled model included the static magnetic field,pulsed eddy current field and mechanical field.The FEM equations of the three fields were derived by Garlerkin FEM method.Thus,the entire transduction process of the EMAT was calculated through sequentially coupling the three fields.The transduction process of a Lamb wave EMAT was calculated according to the present model and method.The results show that,by the present method,it is valid to calculate the particle displacement under the given excitation signal and non-uniformly distributed static magnetic field.Calculation error will be brought about if the non-uniform distribution of the static bias magnetic field is neglected.

Advanced test methods of material property characterization:high strain-rate testing and experimental simulation of multiaxial stress states

Optimum utilization of the loading capability of engineering materials is an important and active contribution to protect nature's limited resources,and it is the key for economic design methods.In order to make use of the materials' resources,those must be known very well;but conventional test methods will offer only limited informational value.The range of questions raised is as wide as the application of engineering materials,and partially they are very specific.The development of huge computer powers enables numeric modelling to simulate structural behaviour in rather complex loading environments-so the real material behaviour is known under the given loading conditions.Here the art of material testing design starts.To study the material behaviour under very distinct and specific loading conditions makes it necessary to simulate different temperature ranges,loading speeds, environments etc.and mostly there doesn't exist any commonly agreed test standard.In this contribution two popular,non-standard test procedures and test systems will be discussed on the base of their application background,special design features as well as test results and typically gained information:The demand for highspeed tests up to 1000 s^(-1) of strain rate is very specific and originates primarily in the automotive industry and the answers enable CAE analysis of crashworthiness of vehicle structures under crash conditions.The information on the material behaviour under multiaxial loading conditions is a more general one.Multiaxial stress states can be reduced to an equivalent stress,which allows the evaluation of the material's constraint and criticality of stress state.Both discussed examples shall show that the open dialogue between the user and the producer of testing machines allows custom-tailored test solutions.

Application of Building Material Testing Technology

The article analyses the application of building material testing technology,concludes that though the application of building material testing technology,the quality of the material can be tested,and unqualified materials can be found in time,and removed from the construction,to prevent the impact of the construction effect,and ensure the quality of the construction project.

A simple permanent deformation model of rockfill materials

Existing experimental results have shown that using a semi-log linear relationship between the permanent volumetric strain and cyclic number underestimates the volumetric deformation of rockfill materials with a large cyclic number, and that the error increases with the confining pressure. The existing permanent deformation models are not suitable for the seismic safety analysis of high dams during strong earthquakes. In this study, a series of large-scale triaxial cyclic loading tests of rockfill materials were performed, and a new permanent deformation model of rockfill materials was developed and validated with three kinds of rockfill materials. The results show that the proposed model can properly reflect the general features of the permanent deformation of rockfill materials. The main features of the model are as follows:(1) relations between the cyclic number and permanent volumetric/shear strain are described by hyperbolic functions, which can avoid underestimating the volumetric deformation occurring during strong earthquakes;(2) the model can capture the effect of the mean effective stress on the permanent volumetric strain, with greater confining pressure correlating to greater permanent volumetric deformation, and the permanent volumetric strain under low confining pressure near the dam crest can be well represented; and(3) the model can reflect the effect of the consolidation stress ratio on the permanent shear strain.

New shakedown criterion and permanent deformation properties of unbound granular materials

Unbound granular material specifications for road pavements in Australia are primarily based on physical material specification rather than mechanical characterisation. This simplified approach does not reflect the actual material performance under repeated dynamic traffic loads. There is a little information available on the influence of the local crushed rock properties and compacted layer properties on permanent deformation (PD). This study aims to characterise the local unbound granular materials in Victoria according to their PD behaviour under repeated loads and to develop a suitable shakedown criterion that could describe the PD of the tested materials to simplify the flexible pavement design. Repeated-load triaxial tests were conducted over several samples with a range of moisture contents, gradations, densities, and stress conditions. The laboratory test results showed that PD behaviour was influenced by several factors. In addition, the tested subbase-specified unbound granular materials reflect high PD resistance that is almost equivalent to basequality unbound granular materials. This may indicate that current requirements for the subbase-quality unbound granular materials are over-prescribe. Moreover, as the existing shakedown criterion was not applicable for the multi-stage repeated-load triaxial test and the local tested materials, a new shakedown criterion and new boundaries are proposed based on the PD behaviour. In the proposed criterion, the shakedown ranges are identified based on the curve angle of the PD vs. logarithm of the number of loading cycles, and this new criterion was validated using several materials from existing literature. The local tested base and subbase materials can be assigned as Range A when PD\1%, Range B when 1%\PD\3%, and Range C when PD[3%. The proposed criterion could provide a useful and quick approach to assess the PD of the unbound granular materials with both single and multistages of stresses.

Non-parallel double-crack propagation in rock-like materials under uniaxial compression

Coalescence among fractures would have influence on the stability of rock masses. Deep understanding of mechanical behavior of fractured rock masses is an important mean to identify failure mechanism of geological disaster. In this study, crack propagation processing was studied through loading pre-fractured specimens of concrete block, termed as rock-like material, in uniaxial compression tests. New non-parallel double-crack geometry was introduced to observe crack coalescence. The flaw combinations are different from the normally used flaw configurations. In addition, ultrasonic detection tests were performed on the test blocks. The stress and strain data of these tests and characteristic parameters of sound wave were recorded. The stress-strain curves of each test block under the uniaxial compression test were drawn, relations among deformation characteristics and crack angle of the crack specimens, and their overall strength were analyzed. It is found that strength of the specimen decreases as crack inclination increases under two crack inclinations. The highest uniaxial compressive strength is found in the specimen with the cracks at the same angle in different directions. Based on description of the crack initiation location, crack surface and the ultimate failure patterns, failure modes of eight subtype for test blocks are divided into three categories. It is expected that the study results could be beneficial for engineering application of jointed rock masses.

Mechanical Properties of Deep-buried Marble Material Under Loading and Unloading Tests

The mechanical properties are essentially different when rock material is subjected to loading or unloading conditions. In this study, loading and unloading tests with various confining pressures are conducted to investigate the mechanical properties of marble material samples taken from the deep diversion tunnels of Jinping II Hydropower Station. The stress-strain relationship, failure characteristics and strength criterion are compared and analyzed based on the experiment results. The results show： in the loading and unloading test, peak strength, lateral strain, axial strain and plastic deformation increase significantly as the confining pressure increases. Lateral strain increased significantly and obvious lateral dilatancy can be observed to the change of confining pressure; The fracture mode is mainly the single shear fracture for the triaxial compression test and post-peak test, angle between the failure surface and the ends of the rock material becomes smaller as the confining pressure increases. Hock-Brown strength criterion reflects the strength characteristics of marble material under two different unloading conditions, and has some supplementary effects to the rock material of mechanical field.

Effect of vertical stress rest period on deformation behaviour of unbound granular materials:Experimental and numerical investigations

Repeated load triaxial test is used to assess the deformation behaviour of unbound granular materials(UGMs) in flexible road pavements. Repeated load pulse characteristics(i.e. shape, loading period and rest period) are the stress configurations used in the experimental set-up to simulate the passing axle loads. Some researchers and standard testing protocols suggest a rest period of varying durations after a loading phase. A thorough review of existing literature and practises has revealed that there is no agreement about the effect of the rest period of vertical stress pulse on the deformation behaviour of the UGMs. Therefore,the main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of repeated stress rest period on the deformation behaviour of UGMs experimentally. Experiments are conducted, both with and without rest period, using basalt and granite crushed rocks from Victoria, Australia. Furthermore, in order to gain insight into the effect of the rest period, finite element modelling is also developed. Both the experimental and modelling results show that the rest period has a noticeable effect on both resilient and permanent deformation behaviours of UGMs. It is, therefore, recommended to take extra precautions while adopting a particular standard testing protocol and to supplement the results by additional tests with different loading configurations.

Impact and Friction Sensitivity of Energetic Materials：Methodical Evaluation of Technological Safety Features

Key methods developed and used in the USSR and in the Russian Federation to determine the impact and friction sensitivity of energetic materials and explosives have been discussed.Experimental methodologies and instruments that underlie the assessment of their production and handling safety have been described.Studies of a large number of compounds have revealed relationships between their sensitivity parameters and structure of individual compounds and compositions.The range of change of physical and chemical characteristics for the compounds we examined covers the entire region of their existence.Theoretical methodology and equations have been formulated to estimate the impact and friction sensitivity parameters of energetic materials and to evaluate the technological safety in use.The developed methodology is characterized by high-accuracy calculations and prediction of sensitivity parameters.